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Friday, 18 February 2011

‘The Doe and The Dragon’ continues to near publication. I’ve sent final edits back to Rogue Phoenix Press, and I assume the next stage is to await a publication date.

The novel is set in fifth-century north Wales, and the hero is the semi-historical Einion Yrth (‘The Impetuous’). But who was Einion Yrth? And how have I treated him?

According to the myths, Cunedda was a minor kingt who came down from the north of England to settle in north Wales to help fend off Irish raids. He had numerous sons who travelled with him, and Einion later became king of the region, despite being the youngest. (Sadly for romantics, historians are trending to the view that the story and sons are made up to give the dynasty a history and provide names for sub-kingdoms.)

We know little else about Einion, but his title ‘Yrth’ has led some to suggest he might have been the original Uther Pendragon (Arthur’s father, of course).

I had to make Einion heroic because he must be worthy of being a leader. But I also wanted him vulnerable, to make him sympathetic. So, I have him self-confident, and of course impetuousness, and quick to anger. But I gave him a flaw – an inability to deal with beautiful women.

It is this shyness that I have tried to play up in the story; he loves Breena, the beautiful Irish woman he meets, but does not know how to woo her. This isn’t a story about heroism or good against evil, or about history, although they all play an important part. It is about Einion’s almost blundering efforts to win the hand of the woman he loves.